Broccoli Soup: Improved

I’ve been making plain ole Broccoli Soup for years, but I’ve made a recent discovery. Quinoa added to pureed soups = heavenly texture. Really. I’m not exaggerating. I had planned on adding the cooked quinoa and pureeing it to to add richness and thicken the soup. However, before pureeing again, I took a bite and realized that the quinoa gave it a fantastic texture. The individual grains pop in you mouth.

It’s like a party – In.your.mouth. And it’s broccoli. Who would have thought? Served with some cornbread… it’s a hearty dinner.

1. Cut the broccoli florets into 2 inch pieces. Peel the stalk well and cut into 1 inch pieces.

2. Heat olive oil and butter in a heavy bottom pot over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and saute for about 5 minutes, until translucent. Add the garlic and continue to cook, stirring often for another 2 minutes.

3. Carefully pour the vegetable (or chicken) stock in and bring to a simmer over medium high heat. Season with salt and pepper and add the dried oregano and thyme. Add the broccoli stalk, lower heat to medium low, and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the florets and simmer for another 5-10 minutes, until florets are tender. If you’re feeling fancy, remove 1-2 florets to garnish the finished soup and set aside.

4. Remove from heat and very carefully, puree the hot soup, preferably with an immersion blender. If you do not have an immersion blender, use a regular blender, but only fill 1/2 way, and do not seal the top when pureeing. Instead, cover with several layers of kitchen towels. Otherwise, you will spew hot soup around the kitchen! After the soup is smooth, add the basil and shredded cheese and puree again to incorporate the basil into the soup.

5. Add the cooked quinoa and stir well. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed.

Recent Comments

I visited your blog after a long time today and was so thrilled to see all these new posts and the new design. As always, your food looks gorgeous.

The best!

wow great pictures! the filling sounds really interesting.. I have lots of leftover egg whites that I've been wanting to use up...I'm definitely making them! thanks for the recipe : )

I did have this salad when we visited the Philippines! It was certainly delicious and very fulfilling. Although this dish is more Japanese in origin, that restaurant gave it its own twist. The Filipinos really have a good palate for excellent food! Anyway, thank you for the recipe. I will surely give this a try!

Absolutely mind-blowing. I tried doing spoons once.....do your spoons have a rounded bowl or a flat surface. Did many break if you were trying to push it in a little to make it have a little depth.